A fortnight later, the club brought Paul Scholes out of retirement, and nothing came of the rumour. A sigh of relief all round at Old Trafford and Stamford Bridge.

United fans considered Lampard to be a poor solution to their midfield troubles, too old (perhaps ironic given they called for Scholes), while Blues supporters certainly did not want to see their midfielder donning the shirt of a Premier League rival.

Now Lampard's future is again somewhat up in the air. Roman Abramovich is refusing to offer more than a one year deal to he and Ashley Cole, and the suggestions is very much that the mainstay of their midfield over the last decade is becoming surplus to requirements.

Perhaps, and it didn't stop David Beckham, but Lampard's personal circumstances are somewhat different. He is separated from the mother of his children, and may not want to place the Atlantic Ocean between he and his family, whereas Beckham could take his kids along with him.

So if he is looking to move on, Lampard is likely to want to stay in the UK. Could a move to Manchester United actually be back on the agenda?

With Sir Alex Ferguson, you simply can't rule anything out. Lampard may be 34, but if the manager genuinely was interested in him back in January, his views are unlikely to have changed.

If he was prepared to bring back Scholes at 37, he will consider Lampard still has a couple of years at least to offer. Again it will remain a move fans are opposed to, it will be considered that a year on, the Chelsea midfielder has even less to offer, and if he is no longer good enough for Chelsea, why would he be good enough for United.

The supporters of both clubs will have to cross their fingers Sir Alex Ferguson shares the same view, and doesn't seek to sign the midfielder when his contract expires next summer. But we have learned in football, expect the unexpected.

Are you 100 per cent confident Ferguson won't try to sign Lampard on a free, or are you worried it could happen?

Dan Coombs

Dan Coombs is a writer who is keen to embrace the internet revolution. He first started writing for us in June 2011 and commenced his new role as Sports Editor in February 2012.

As a trained journalist he has met famous faces from Mr T to Boris Johnson. He once featured in an England World Cup music video too, but it did not make the charts.

He grew up wanting to be a Formula 1 driver, but it looks like this dream has passed him by. Instead, he hopes you enjoy reading his writing on our site, as we seek to debate the day's sporting hot topics.